We have adopted a three-tiered frame pricing strategy and found it effective: simple to inventory and present to patients. And it offers comfort and clarity for our patients, who find their price point category and shop there.

By Marlon Lopez, ABOC, NCLEMonday, January 9, 2017 12:15 PMOur eyes are designed specifically to process light and it’s difficult to think that over the course of a lifetime that light damages them. Here is the key thought: an “Excess” of high-energy light. Exposure to all types of visible and non-visible light happens continuously and it has a direct impact on our body and mind, some positive, some negative. It’s impossible to stop the transmission of light or to know which is the most valuable for our well-being. But, based on what we’ve learned, we can certainly filter what experts have learned as potentially damaging high-energy visible light and prevent it from harming us over a lifetime.

By Johnna Dukes, ABOCMonday, January 2, 2017 11:15 AM
If you’ve looked at the newest releases in Progressive Lens Designs, you will notice that you have approximately one bazillion choices when it comes to choosing the corridor length in your favorite Progressive Lens. If you’re not 100% certain on how to make the best choice for your patient regarding corridor length, here are a few tips to help clear the sometimes muddy water.

By Barry Santini, ABOMMonday, January 2, 2017 11:10 AM
If we look at the dynamics of oversight for prescription eyewear worldwide, we note how the regulatory atmosphere is changing with the arrival of online prescription eyewear. For example, in 2010, the Canadian Health Minister in British Colombia, responding to a court case involving a prominent online optical retailer, was prompted to review the current regulations concerning eyeglasses contained in the applicable Canada's Health Professionals Act.

By Barry Santini, ABOMMonday, December 19, 2016 12:10 PM
If we look at the dynamics of oversight for prescription eyewear worldwide, we note how the regulatory atmosphere is changing with the arrival of online prescription eyewear. For example, in 2010, the Canadian Health Minister in British Colombia, responding to a court case involving a prominent online optical retailer, was prompted to review the current regulations concerning eyeglasses contained in the applicable Canada's Health Professionals Act.

By Barry Santini, ABOMMonday, December 12, 2016 12:15 PM
The sale of eyeglasses has been the single greatest revenue generator for optical stores. But you can't begin the sale of glasses without first having an Rx, and eye exams are financed in large part through participation in vision care plans (VCPs). For most consumers, the scheduling of exams and availability of eyewear allowances is set through the VCP’s logistics.

While the economy and unemployment rates have not yet returned to where we would like them, consumers and businesses continue to be mindful of where each dollar is spent. It’s become the norm. It also means it is wise to review the steps you take with each patient. Practices you implement now can benefit you far into the future.

Probably no question elicits more surprise and emotion from eye care professionals than when they're asked: “Can I have a copy of my Rx and PD?” Why? Because this innocent request is really an arrow aimed straight at the heart of historical "control" ECPs have had over the sale of prescription eyewear. If we step back and take a longer perspective, we can see that this is just the latest manifestation of a consumer empowerment process that began more than three decades ago.

Your patients don’t just want sports sunwear–they want specific brands, findings from The Vision Council VisionWatch 2016 Sports Sunglass report suggest. Unaided, respondents were asked what their favorite sports sunglass brand is. The most common brand that was reported was Oakley (22.6 percent of respondents). Ray-Ban was also a common brand with 12.3 percent of respondents saying it was their favorite sports sunglass brand. Around 24 percent of respondents said they didn’t have a preference when it came to sports sunglass brands, and about 20 percent of respondents said they did not know what their favorite brand was.

With the growth of the Optical Heritage Museum over the last 3 years (thanks to my company Zeiss who sponsors it), I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to study much of the content of our vast collection of Ophthalmic lens advertising materials. These date back to before the turn of the 20th Century. Our archives house a very unique library of materials; and one thing I have been struck with is the many parallels between how we market lens products then vs now.

Patients come in all different sizes, which can make fitting frames and lenses a dynamic process. Thankfully, the industry has solved many of these problems in a variety of ways. From large to small, manufacturers have an array of frames to fit every sized head.

In traditional progressive lenses, the designer defines a series of performance goals, including a target corridor length and reading add, fixed lens areas, along with a merit weighting of various optical errors, and then enters into an iterative process to figure out which elements of progressive surface should be manipulated to achieve these goals.

By Barry Santini, ABOMMonday, October 31, 2016 10:10 AM
To begin the choice of a corridor length, start with your fitting height, and subtract 4mm to 5 mm, which allocates enough height for a minimum useful reading area. The difference left is a good approximate number to begin determining your target corridor length.

By Barry Santini, ABOMMonday, October 24, 2016 10:08 AM
In the new millennium, as free-form manufacturing overcame the economic and logistic limitations imposed by traditional progressive production, a cornucopia of lens design choices unfolded on the optical market.

By Lina T. Arango, ODMonday, October 17, 2016 12:15 AM
Eyewear that suits the needs of sports-active patients is a growing opportunity. I know this both as an OD, and as an athlete myself. As a triathlete, I am active in the sports community of Miami, where I practice. This is an area in which an outdoors lifestyle is the norm, with many of my patients participating in everything from marathons and triathlons to boating.